Air conditioning apparatus



Sept. 12, 1939. B. F. RANDEL 2,172,408

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1939. B. F. RANDEL 2,172,408

AIR CONDITIONING APPAQATUS Filed Dec. 7, 19:57 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORBY Bo FOLKE. RANDEL.

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 12, 1939 PATENT orrlcs 2,172,408 AIRCONDITIONING APPARATUS Bo Folke Randel,

'San Diego, Calif.

Application December 7, 1937, Serial No. 178,441

1 Claim.

\ (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) This invention relates toapparatus for air conditioning and it hasa particular relation toheating and/or cooling the air of a building or other space.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of newand improved means for heating and cooling the ventilating air of abuilding, that is simple in construction and operation and whichembodies but few moving parts.

With these and other objects in view, as well as other advantages thatmay be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consistsin the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed,and with the understanding that the several necessary elementsconstituting the same may be varied in propor tion and arrangementwithout departing from the nature and scope of the invention, as definedin the appended claim.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, there are shownin the accompanying drawings, means for carrying the invention intopractical use, without limiting the improvements in their usefulapplication to the particular construction, which, for the purpose ofexplanation, have been'made the subject of illustration.

In the accompanyin drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of 'an air con-; ditioning apparatusconstructed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of another form of air conditioning apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, an airconditioning apparatus embodying the present invention is shown ascomprising in its essentials a. chamber A through which air to beconditioned is caused to flow by a fan ll and containing a temperaturecontrolling coil ii; a condenser B containing a cooling coil l2 andcommunicating with the temperature controlling coil ll through a pipeIS; an evaporator C communicating with the upper portion of thecondenserB through a conduit H, and containing a cooling coil I! whichcommunicates with the temperature controlling coil ll through a pipe Itand two-way valve I1; and a boiler D which is heated by a suitableburner i8 and containing a heating .coil I! which also comp o"'municateswith the temperature controlling coil ll, through a pipe and the two-wayvalve l'l. The pressure in-the evaporator C is reduced in order to.hasten evaporation and resulting cooling by a steam injector 21 locatedin the con- 85 duit l4 and communicating through a pipe 22 and valve 23with the boiler D. The pressure in the condenser is increased in orderto accelerate condensation by a liquid ejector 24 also located in theconduit l4 and which communicates with the pipe l3 leading to thetemperature, 5 controlling coil ll.

When the apparatus is employed for cooling purposes the two-way valve i1is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1 in which position a pump 25driven by a. motor 26 withdraws water from 10 the lower portion of thecondenser B through a pipe 21 and forces it through a'pipe 28 into thecooling coil IS in the evaporator C and thence through the pipe l6,two-way valve l'l, temperature controlling coil ll, pipe l3, and liquidejec- 15 tor 24 into the upper portion of the condenser B. The coolingwater thus injected back into the condenser enters the same in the formof a spray which entrains steam from the ejector 2| and vaporized waterfrom the evaporator entrained go by the steam and not only partiallyliqueties the same but projects it over the cooling coil l2.

Some ofthe water withdrawn from the condensers by the pump 25 passesfrom the pipe 28 through a branch pipe, expansion valve 30, 25 and spraynozzle 3| into the upper portion of the evaporator C, thus not onlyfacilitating vaporization in the evaporator but assisting in the coolingof the coil i5 and replacing the water lost through evaporation. Also,part of the water 30 withdrawn from the condenser B, passes from thepipe 28 through a branch pipe 32 and regulating valve 33 into the boilerD in order to compensate for the water generated into steam.

.When the apparatus is employed for heating 35 purposes the two-wayvalve i1 is turned so that communication is established between thetemperature controlling coil ii and the pipe 20 leadingto the heatingcoil i9 in the boiler D and at the same time interrupting communicationbetween the pipe l6 and cooling coil Ii. Under these conditions theexpansion. valve '30 is closed to prevent water from accumulating in theevaporator C and a control valve 34 is also closed to prevent the coill2 from functioning as a cooling coil. With the parts inthe positionsdescribed,

@the pump 25 will force water from the pipe 28 through a branch pipe 35,heating coil it, where it is heated by the hot water and steam in theboiler D, pipe 20, valve l'l, temperature control coil ll, pipe i3 andliquid injector back to the condenser B.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated a different form of the invention inwhich. the same essential elements are employed, the principaldifferences u being that the heating and cooling fluid which traversesthe temperature controlling coil ll circulates independently of thefluid in the condenser B. In this arrangement when it is desired to coolthe air passing through the chamber A, the two-way valve I1 is rotatedto the position shown in which a second pump it driven by a motor 31will cause a fluid medium to flow in a closed circuit through aportion01' pipe 8| and pipe 39, thence through the coil II in the evaporator Cwhere it is cooledgthencethrough pipe 40, two-way valve l1, pipe ll,temperature controlling coil II, and a pipe 42, back to the pump 36.Thiswillcausethe cooling ofthe coil II and the air flowingthrough thechamber A.

When it is desired to employ this apparatus for heating pu'rpoas thetwo-way valve II is turned so as to interrupt the circuit Just tracedand to 'establish communication between the pipe 2.

leading to the heating coil IO and a pipe I leading to thetemperaturecontrolling coil ll. Under these conditions the pump Itcannot force the heating medium through the cooling coil ll because thevalve II in this position closes pipe 40. This pump will, however, forcethe fluid medium in a second closed circuit through the pipe 38, heatingcoil IS, in the boiler D where it is heated, pipe 20, valve l'l pipe 4|,temperature controlling coil II and pipe I back to the pump I. This willheat the coil II and the air flowing through the chamber A. The otherportions of the apparatus are constructed similarly to and operate inthe same manner as those previously described in connection with Fig. 1.It will be noted that in the construction just described the a heatingand cooling coils are connected in parallel with each other andseparably in series with the coil H and that the fluid medium therein isseparate from that in the boiler D, condenser B, and evaporator C.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a very simple and efllcientsystem for conditioning ventilating air is provided by the presentinvention and one operating quietly and with a minimum of moving a Othermodifications and changes in the proportions and arrangement oi theparts, other heated fluid to said temperature controlling element; anevaporator; a cooling coil in said evaporator for supplying coolingfluid to said temperature controlling element; a condenser communicatingwith said temperature controlling element and said evaporator forreceiving heating and cooling fluids therefrom; means for withdrawingfluid i'rom said condenser and delivering the same to said boiler andthe heating coil therein and also to said evaporator and the coolingcoil therein; a steam ejector communicating with said boiler forreducing the pressure in said evaporator to cause the vaporization oithe fluid therein and the lowering oi the temperature oi.

the cooling fluid and for causing the flow'of'vapor from said evaporatorto said condenser; a second i ejector communicating with saidtemperature controlling element and said condenser and arranged \inseries with saidsteam ejector, said second ejector being operable byfluid from said' temperature controlling element when the same isemployed for cooling purposes to liquefy the steam issuing from saidsteam ejector and the vapors of evaporation entrained thereby and toincrease the pressure in said condenser, and also being operable bysteam passing from said temperature controlling element when the same isemployed for heating purposes to augment the action or said steamejector; and means for se lectively establishing communication betweensaid heating and cooling coils and said tempera- 'ture controllingelement.

BO FOLKE RANDEL.

